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From Zero to 150 in Two Seconds: V-2 Catapults

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS031120-13

Release Date: 11/20/2003 9:22:00 PM

By Journalist Seaman Sara Gray, USS Enterprise Public Affairs

ABOARD USS ENTERPRISE, At sea (NNS) -- USS Enterprise (CVN 65) left the North Arabian Sea Nov. 15, where Enterprise Carrier Strike Group provided air support for ground troops in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

For pilots flying these missions, the Sailors of Air Department's V-2 division are the driving force behind the launch of their aircraft from Big E. V-2 division's catapult crews' workday starts long before flight operations begin and end long after the final plane has been recovered.

V-2 division is responsible for both launching and recovering aircraft aboard Big E. This includes the operation and maintenance of four steam catapults, five arresting engines, visual landing aids and the Fresnel lens system. Within this division are the 44 Sailors who make up Catapult Crews 3 and 4, the Waist Cats.

Both on deck and in spaces that house the division's massive equipment, V-2 Sailors keep the 'Cats and Gear' performing smoothly. Their job is dangerous, the hours long, and the work is both physically and mentally demanding. It requires perfect attention to the tiniest details because lives depend on it. These Sailors have an exhausting and sometimes thankless job, but it is mission-critical. Enterprise would not able to launch aircraft without them.

"These guys are an outstanding crew," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Omar Rodriguez of Cat 3. "They are the most hardworking Sailors on the ship. They will work for 40 hours straight, get six hours of sleep and do it all over again."

For these Sailors, there are no second chances when they're propelling a 60,000-pound aircraft from zero to 150 miles per hour in two seconds, or when they're snatching one out of the sky with a hook and cable.

In addition to the hectic flight schedule, the cat crews have required maintenance to perform on their gear to keep the catapults running, a mission-critical aspect of flight operations.

"There's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to launch these aircraft," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 1st Class Angel M. Fernandez, Waist Catapult 3 and 4 leading petty officer. "We just completed a water check inspection that took three days and two nights, and after that was completed, we immediately starting manning up the catapults again. These are some of the hardest working Sailors aboard. They do what they have to do to get the job done."

Whether they're performing maintenance or launching aircraft, these Cat Crew Sailors literally project naval power to the skies. On a crowded flight deck, in dangerous conditions, they're the ones who send Enterprise's aircraft into the air.